Inquiry into music: course home

Giving useful feedback that helps other people learn is an art that requires practice. Receiving feedback in a positive spirit can also be a challenge requiring a willingness to acknowledge your present shortcomings without getting discouraged. If your inquiry will involve providing feedback or critique to other members of your class or inquiry group, or if you must sometimes rely on self-critique, or if you have trouble receiving even constructive criticism, you should consider doing some of he inquiries in the Constructive Criticism Inquiries module.

Reflect

Presenting your ideas and creations to others, and receiving their feedback, should help you realize what you have learned, what is still unclear, what questions and interests others might have about your project, what resources and processes were useful (or not useful) to you, and what new questions are beginning to interest you. Because inquiry does not follow a standardized path to a predetermined conclusion, it is important to assess where the inquiry actually led you, and why, and how that will affect your next question and inquiry cycle. For example, you may decide that you have mastered a particular concept that you needed and are ready to take the next step towards your learning goal, or that you need a break from inquiry to digest and practice what you have learned. You may decide that the inquiry did not leave you where you had hoped to be, and decide to alter it, based on what you did learn, and "try again." Or you may decide to alter your long-term learning goal, a little or a lot, because the inquiry has changed your interests and questions.

If you are not certain how to do this step, try the Assessing music learning module.

Advice for teachers and group facilitators

Because many of the people who use these resources are individuals learning on their own, I have tried to design this course so that it can be used by individuals without assistance. However, most of the literature on inquiry strongly suggests that group inquiries are preferable whenever they are feasible, because people learn more naturally and easily in working with others. The modules that are part of this course should be easily adaptable to a classroom, performance ensemble, or other group learning situation. (If you do have difficulties using the course to guide group inquiries, please let me know.)

Guiding inquiries is a skill that must be learned and practiced, like any other skill. If you are accustomed to more traditional teaching methods, inquiry-based learning may feel very unnatural at first. Learners who are accustomed to being told what to do and what they should know may also be uncomfortable with the inquiry process at first, although they are likely to become enthusiastic once they have had some practice (Knowles, 1975, p.33). It may be particularly difficult for you to give them support and structure without insisting on directing them to the questions and answers that you believe they should learn. It is useful to approach the project with the expectation that you will also be learning (about the learners, as well as about the subject area).